Spraying device



Nov. 14, 1939. w. M, VOGEL SPRAYING DEVICE Filed July 19, 1938 INVENTOR 1 73 I gain, Wpel Patented Nov. 14, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in spraying devices of the character used for the distribution of liquid insecticide or other liquids, and particularly to a type of sprayer combined with or built in an insecticide can or similar article, an example of such structure being disclosed in co-pending application of William Martin Vogel, Ser. No. 182,156, filed December 28th, 1937.

The present invention has for its main object the provision of a built-in sprayer of the character described by which the contents of the can may be sprayed directly from the can. In constructing a device of this character, a great deal of consideration has to be given to the fact that these cans, filled with the insecticide or other liquid, are often roughly handled during transportation, sale and use, and it is therefore desirable that the spraying device incorporated as a part of the can be such as to be extremely sturdy; that it shall have no projecting parts or other elements likely to be broken off or damaged during the rough handling of the filled can; that there shall be no leakage of the contents should the filled can be tipped over or rest on its side; that the liquid contents of the can shall not be spurted or ejected inadvertently by any pressure imposed upon the side walls of the can; that the can be not particularly altered as to shape; and that the piston for operating the sprayer be restrained from inadvertent movement, to thereby prevent operation of the sprayer unless required by manual reciprocation.

Among the objects of my invention therefore, is the provision of a sprayer which will satisfactorily fulfill the requirements above expressed; which will direct a fine spray of the contents of the can immediately upon reciprocation of the piston; which will possess all of the satisfactory characteristics of a separate sprayer, yet be combined with and almost wholly contained within the body of the can in which the insecticide or other liquid is contained without requiring the can to assume a different shape from that in which it is customarily made.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein an embodiment of the invention is shown, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a combined can and sprayer made in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of a part of the can showing the spray nozzle with the cap removed therefrom.

The body .of the can or similar receptacle is shown at I and the same may be of any suitable form or size convenient to be held in one hand,

while the built-in sprayer is operated with the other hand. A can of approximately quart size has been found convenient, and in the form shown, the body of the can is substantially rectangular in cross-sectional shape, although it may be of any other desired convenient shape, as will be readily understood. Seamed to the upper end of the body I in the conventional manner is the top 2 and similarly secured to the lower end of the body is the bottom 3. Extending through the body of the can from top to bottom thereof is a tube 4 constituting a piston chamber. Secured to the lower end of the tube or cylinder 4 and closing the same is a conical plug receptacle or socket 5, which has a laterally extending fiange 6 secured to the bottom 3 to close the bottom around the lower end of the cylinder 4. The inner end .of the conical plug receptacle 5 is provided with an aperture or hole I through which piston rod 8 extends. Pressed into the receptacle 5 and frictionally held therein is a gasket or Washer 9. At one end the piston rod 8 is provided with a conical knob Ill forming an operating handle by means of which the piston II on the opposite end of rod 8 may be reciprocated within the cylinder or tube 4. The knob I0 is so shaped as to fit within the conical receptacle 5 when the piston II has reached the end of its spraying stroke, and when the knob I0 is so seated in receptacle 5, it is located above the lower end I2 of the can so that the can may be stood upright in the conventional way without interference by any projecting portions of knob Ill.

The upper end of the tube or cylinder 4 is widened or enlarged to form the chamber I3, the formation of said chamber producing an annular seat I4, on which the circumferential flange I5 of cup-shaped member I6 rests. Said member I6 is pressed in position or otherwise tightly fitted in the upper end of cylinder or tube 4, and it is formed with a dependent cup-shaped portion I! having threads I8. Secured or otherwise provided on the piston I I is a cup I9 which is internally threaded as at 20 so that it may be received upon the threads I8 of the cup-shaped portion I'I. That is to say, when the piston II is forced toward member H as far as it will go by direct manual pressure imposed upon the knob III, the knob II) is then rotated, causing threads 20 in cup I9 to engage with the threads I8 on cupshaped member N. This engagement of cup IS with member I'I serves to hold the piston against longitudinal movement in cylinder or tube 49, so that the possibility of the sprayer operating or the piston moving in the cylinder during handling of the can is prevented. Cup I9 also forms a closure member for opening 2|, preventing the trickle of liquid down into cylinder 4 when the sprayer is idle.

The bottom of the cup-shaped portion I! is formed with an air-blast hole or aperture 2| normally closed by a disc 22 serving to act as a valve. This disc is normally kept .over the hole 2| by means of a cylindrical section 23 of resilient and absorbent material such as felt or the like.

Resting on top of the flange I5 is a dished member 24 constituting a valve plate and provided with a central aperture or hole 25. A gasket 26 is interposed between the dished member 24 and flange l5. Secured on the upper end of chamber I3 is a closure plate 2'! having a depressed top 28 formed with one .or a series of openings 29, through which the liquid contents of the can may enter to gain access to the absorbent material 23 and to another section of absorbent material 3!) located on top of the dished member 24 and positioned within the projecting spout or nozzle portion 3| formed as a part of the closure plate 21. Nozzle portion 3| is formed with a spray opening 32 through which the spray is ejected, as will be hereinafter explained.

The closure plate 21 is secured to the underside of the top 2 of the can at the points indicated at 34 in Fig. 2, these locations being situated between the spaced, raised ribs 35. The ribs 35 serve to provide passages through which the liquid contents of the can may enter to reach the depressed top 28 as shown by the arrows in Fig. 1 and pass through the openings or apertures 29 therein to enter chamber l3.

When the can is sold to a customer, it is substantially full of the insecticide or other liquid adapted to be sprayed, which at that time surrounds cylinder 24. By tilting the can or holding it with the cylinder 4 disposed substantially horizontally, the liquid contents of the can will pass by gravity through the passages formed by the ribs 35 and enter through openings 29 to reach the interior of the chamber i3 acting to saturate the absorbent material 30. The knob Ill is first rotated to disengage threads 20 from those shown at i8, and then the piston is reciprocated. As the piston is moved away from cupshaped end H, the suction created will aid in drawing liquid into chamber [3 through openings 29 and as movement of the piston is reversed and as it is moved toward the chamber l3, the blast of air from the piston passing through opening 2| and through the absorbent material 23 will strike against the concave face of the dished member 24, serving to raise it or force it away from the seat 14, thus permitting the liquid in chamber I3 to enter the lower part of the same and saturate the absorbent material 23. The portion of absorbent material shown at 30 is resilient and more closely packed than that shown at 23 and it serves as a spring to normally hold the dished member 26 down on its seat M substantially as shown in Fig. 1. In fact, the absorbent material shown at 30 might be omitted and a spring used as a substitute for it.

The air blast passing through the saturated absorbent material 23 passes through the hole 25 in the dished member 24 and then through the absorbent material 30, finally emanating in the form of a fine spray through the spray opening 22. When the sprayer is not being used, the spray opening 22 is kept closed by means of a threaded closure cap 36 of conventional construction. The use of a liquid-saturated absorbent material adjacent to the air blast and spray openings through which the air blast is directly forced provides a uniformity in spray density ejected from the spray opening. It eliminates the provision of a siphon tube common in insecticide sprayers and which, in a built-in construction of this character, is likely to cause leakage and evaporation, especially if the can should remain on a storekeepers shelf for a considerable period of time.

What I claim is:

1. A spraying device comprising, a liquid-holding receptacle, a cylinder secured therein, a piston mounted for reciprocation in said cylinder, the cylinder having walls forming a chamber at one of its ends behind one end of the receptacle, a projecting nozzle portion extending from one end wall of the chamber and extending externally of the end of the receptacle and formed with a spray opening, the chamber being provided with at least one aperture in its wall through which the liquid contents of the receptacle may enter the chamber, said chamber being also apertured in one of its walls to permit the passage of air into it from the cylinder, air valve means within the chamber for normally closing said air-passing aperture, an apertured movable valve member located in the chamber and interposed between the liquid-passing aperture in the chamber wall and the air valve means, a seat in the chamber on which the valve member normally rests, and from which the valve member is raised by an air blast from the airpassing aperture, absorbent material located in said chamber between said valve member and the air valve means for normally holding said air valve means in a closed position, and absorbent material located between the valve member and the nozzle portion of the chamber for normally resiliently holding the valve member in a closed position.

2. A spraying device comprising, a liquid-holding receptacle, a cylinder secured therein, a piston mounted for reciprocation in said cylinder, the cylinder having walls forming a chamber at one of its ends, an apertured nozzle portion located at one end of the chamber and protruding out of one end of the receptacle, the cham ber having at least one opening in one of its Walls communicating with the interior of the receptacle and having an air-blast opening communicating with the cylinder, a movable valve member located on a seat within the chamber between the openings to prevent passage of liquid into the cylinder on retractive piston movement, an absorbent material located in the chamber between said valve member and the air-blast opening and adapted to receive a supply of liquid from the receptacle contents when said valve member is opened by piston movement, and an absorbent material located between the inner face of the nozzle portion and the valve member and serving to normally maintain the valve member on its seat.

3. A spraying device comprising, a liquid-holding receptacle, a cylinder extending through the body of the receptacle, a piston mounted for movement in the cylinder, the cylinder having Walls forming a chamber at one of its ends, a movable valve plate located in the chamber, a seat located within the chamber upon which the Valve plate normally rests, said valve plate and seat being arranged to divide the chamber into two sections the chamber having an end wall in which an air-blast opening is formed, said air-blast opening being disposed between the chamber and cylinder whereby an air-blast from the cylinder will be forced through said air-blast opening, an absorbent material located between the valve plate and air-blast opening whereby a blast of air from the cylinder passing through the air-blast opening will be forced through said absorbent material, the valve plate having an opening through which an air-blast directed through the absorbent material will pass, a spray nozzle at one end of the chamber having a portion projecting above the top of the receptacle,

said projecting portion of the nozzle having a spray opening through which a liquid-charged air-blast passing through the absorbent material is directed, resilient means located between the inner face of the spray nozzle and the valve plate for normally holding said valve plate upon its seat, one of the walls of the chamber being apertured to provide a communication between the interior of the chamber and the can contents, said communication leading into the chamber at the side of the plate opposite to that where the absorbent material is located. WILLIAM MARTIN VOGEL. 

